27 April 2010

I don't confess to being an expert on Mexican food. In fact I could count the number of true authentic Mexican restaurants in the valley on the fingers of one hand. If we count the chain restaurants like Taco Bell and Taco del Mar we could use both hands. I do love good Mexican food so this is where the week in a kitchen in central Mexico in a small mountain village would come in handy.

Even the ingredients to put an authentic meal on the table are hard to find. On my last trip to Costco in Seattle I thought I had hit pay dirt when I found some masa farina but it turned out to be terrible and I don't think the result is what I have been looking for. I will still keep looking and one day I may be able to make authentic dishes at home.

Until I can take that culinary holiday to Mexico I will celebrate for Cinco de Mayo. It is an important milestone in Mexican history, and revelers are happy to help celebrate the occasion with special menus and festive cocktails. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day as I have been told, but actually commemorates the May 5, 1862, Battle of Puebla, in which a formidable French army was trounced by a small Mexican contingent under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza. The victory didn't result in immediate Mexican independence (that came five years later), but it still holds symbolic significance, particularly in Puebla, as well as in Mexican communities all across the United States.

For me the occasion gives me a valid excuse to put something on the table that, although is not authentic Mexican, it is in the spirit of the Mexican people. In the meantime this burrito disguised as a wrap was the perfect way to celebrate! It is so quick and easy to prepare for a mid week meal or when you are just in a hurry to get to the festivities!!!

I live in the Pacific NW so I feel your pain on finding authentic Mexican fare. I grew up in California and I really miss the Mexican food there. This looks amazing! I'm looking forward to Cinco de Mayo now.

Good Mexican places are very thin on the ground over here, and I can't say I've eaten much Mexican food as a result, and certainly nothing worth mentioning. So maybe I should give these a try, and see if I can do better...

It took years for reasonably authentic Mexican food to take hold in the US, but it's growing, so I believe it will eventually spread all over North America and we'll have a better availability of ingredients as well as restaurants.

As strange as it may sound, living within eyesight of Mexico doesn't make it easy to find authentic Mexican food, either. Most of our Mexican restaurants serve Americanized versions of dishes. It's good, but not necessarily authentic. Your burritos look fresh and yummy!

You think authentic is hard there..... I can't even get green chilis - I carry them back in my luggage. And a French Mexican restaurant - a baguette with your burrito?Looks delicious - and I can get tortillas, thanks to Old El Paso!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.